Tie plate



Patented sept. s, 1933 UNITED STATES 'rm PLATE Harold G. wm, rai-k mage,nl., signor so The P & M Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation ofIllinois Applicaties: May 25. 1931. Serlal'No. 539,856

BClaimz.

This invention relates to improvements in supporting and retaining meansfor railroad rails and particularly to tie plates having means carriedthereby for maintaining the rails in proper position on the cross ties.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved tieplate and rail retaining means which when assembled will permit theplate to be secured rigidly to a cross tie without danger of thevertical or wave movement of the rail imparting pumping and rollingmovements to the cross tie.

When a railroad rail is held in close contact with a cross tie, thedepression of the rail between adjacent cross ties, produced by theweight of tramo, imparts a corresponding upward movement oi' the rail atthe opposite side of the tie. This distortion of the rail not only tendsto roll or cant the tie in the ballast of the road-bed, but

0 also tends to loosen and partially withdraw the spikes employed toattach the rail to the cross tie. The rolling movements of the cross tieand also the vertical or pumping movements thereof permit ballast towork beneath the tie and thus impair the alignment and surface oftheir-ack.

The present invention, by the provision of relative movement between thetie plate and the rail, overcomes the above mentioned and otherincidental objections to the tie plate and securing means heretoforeused toeifect rigid attachment of such plates to therail base orinvolving a like attachment of the rail to the cross tie. The pro`vision for relative movement between the base of the rail and the tieplate, permits the rail to move freek;v within a range sumcient tocompensate for the normal wave movement of the rail. By avoiding theobjectionable movements of the cross tie in the ballast, the roadsbed ismain- .46 tained in a relatively firm condition and consequently reducesAthe wave motion of the rail to the extent caused by the depression ofthe roadbed. A further and (more speciic object of the invention is toprovide, in a tie plate having provision for rigid attachment to thecross tie and for vertical movement of the rail base relative to the tieplate. a rail base securing means which so cooperates with the tie plateas to provide a reliable attaching means which can be readily 5o andconveniently applied and which, when in its applied position, willmaintain auch position without engagement with the rail` base. therebymaking it practical to apply or to remove the rail from the tie platewithout disturbing the retaining means at one side of the rail. In thisconnection.,

the invention includes the provision of a resilient .faces of theshoulders and the adiaomt edges key, one end of which is movable througha keyway formed in the plate member so that the end of the key willoverlie the base portion of the rail and the other end of which isadapted to be flexed into locking engagement with the tie plate Qmember; the ilrst mentioned end portion of the key being provided withmeans for limiting its l applying movement, whereby the key. when in'its applied position, is so stressed and interlocked with the platemember as to maintain its pomtion 05 and resist displacement or anyturning movement in the key-Way.

The invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in theaccompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a railway tie plate 7' constructed inaccordance with this invention, and illustrating the rail retaining keymembers in their normally applied positions.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the stmoture shown in Fig. 1. 7Fig. 3 isV a -view in perspective of the resilient key memberillustrated in Figs. l and 2, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view muetroting a slightly modifiedconstruction. whereby the inner end of the key will bear resilientlyagainst 3 the upper surface of the rail base.

Referring first to Figs. l to 3 inclusive of the drawing, 10 designatesthe base portion oi a radroad rail, 1l. one of the cross ties. and l2indicotes the body portion ot a tie plate comi-usted in accordance withvthis invention. The tie plate is interposed between the base portion oithe rail and the top face of the cross tie and is proies'w ably securedrigidly to the tie by means of lag screws 13-13 or other suitablefastening devices so as to prevent movement of the plate relative to thetie. Spaced shoulders 14 and lo are formed y on the upper face of thetie plate. Tame shoulders preferably extend entirely across the plate l2and serve as abutments to preventedL tial lateral movement of the rail.The be tween the saidshoulders is preferaioiy auch es to provide aslight clearance it between the arail base. lit will be observed.therefore. that n of the plate 412. The inner end each key is n.

- plate.

preferably freely movable in the slot or key-way through which itprojects, theA amount of inward movement being limited by one or morestopsl end 24 of each key is turned downwardly and is' formed with atongue portion 25. The tongue 25 is formed preferably by reducing thewidth of the end 24 and it is adapted to be sprungl toward the rail intolocking engagement with the wall of a slot 26 formed'in the body 12 ofthe key up against the upper wall of the key-way or slot with which itcooperates. The compression of the key, together with the engagement ofthe shoulders 27g-27 on the upper face of theV tie plate body, resistany turning action of the key in the key-way of the tie plate that mightotherwise result when upward pressure is exerte the shoulders 14 and 15of the plate. After the rail is in place, the keys 17 and 18 may bedriven to their applied position. The initial movement of the keys, thatis to say, the insertion of the end 23 in the key-Way can be readilyaccomplished without striking the key witha hammer or sledge. The slotsor key-ways 19 and 20 are preferably made somewhat larger than thethick-` ness of the portion 23 so that the upturne'd end 28 may bereadily inserted therethrough. After the shoulders 21-22 of the key arebrought into engagement with the outer face of the upstanding shouldersof the plate, the downturned end 24 of the key is sprung transversely ofthe rail by striking the lower portion of the key with a.

suitable hammer or sledge, thereby forcing the tongue portion 25 intosnap lock engagement with the walls of the recess 26. The springpressure exerted by the compression of the key supports it in positionwithout' requiring bearing engagement on the rail base. Consequentlythere is no tendency for the key to turn in the key-way and thereforeavoid any wearing or rubbing engagement of the key in the key-way.

Fig. 4 illustrates a modified construction in which the end 28l of thekey 17a is so formed as to bear against the top surface of the rail base10a. The pressure of the key on the top surface of the rail base willdepend entirely upon the stiffness of the spring member. Preferably thespring key is of sufficient resilience to permit the base portion of therail to move vertically relative to the plate 12a, the upward movementof the base being resisted as the point of enggq" ment between thespring and rail base moves toward the inner face of the shoulder 14a ofthev tie plate. In other respects, the construction Stop shoulders27-2'7 rest on the upper shown in Fig. 4 may be and preferably is thesameI as that shown in the preceding figure.

While the invention is illustrated herein in certain specificembodiments, it will be obvious to persons familiar with this art thatvarious changes in construction might be made without departure from thespirit of the invention. It will be understood, therefore, that theinvention contemplates all such changes as coming within the scope ofthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. Supporting and retaining means for a railroad rail comprising, incombination, a tie 'plate member having a seat portion for the base ofthe rail, an upstanding shoulder on the plate having a key-way thereinand providing an abutment for one flange of the base of said rail, and aspring key provided at one end with a portion for projecting throughsaid key way into a position above the adjacent-flange of the rail baseand with means engaging the shoulder of the plate for preventing furthermovement of the key therethrough, and provided at the other end vof thekey with a portion adapted to be flexed toward said upstanding shoulderand into locking engagement with a portion of the tie plate, whereby thekey is held in its normal position in said key-way by virtue of theresilient force exerted lengthwise of the key between said tie plateshoulder and the point of said locking engagement of the key with saidplate.

2. Supporting and retaining means for a railroad rail comprising, incombination, a tie plate g member having a seat portion for the base olthe rail, an upstanding shoulder on the plate having a key-way thereinand providing an abut- Vment for one flange of the base of said rail,and

a spring key provided at one end with a portion of reduced width whichprojects through the keyway and provides a shoulder for engagement withthe shoulder of the tie plate to limit the movementI `o1' the keythrough said key-way, the other end of the key being adapted to beflexed transversely of the rail into locking engagement with a portionof the tie plate to hold the key under compressiongbetweeng-the saidshoulder thereof and the point of locking engagement with said plate..

3. Supporting and retaining means for a railroad rail comprising, incombination. a tie plate y member having a seat portion for the base ofthe raill an upstanding shoulder on the plate having a key-way thereinand providing an abutment for lone flange of the base of said rail, anda spring key provided at one end with a portion of reduced width whichprojects through the key-way and provides a stop for engagement with`the shoulder of the tie plate to limit the movement of the key throughsaid key-way, the other end of the key being adapted to bev flexedtransversely of the rail into locking engagement with a portion of thetie 'plate to hold the key under compression between the said stopthereof and the point of locking engagement with said plate body.

4. Supporting and retaining means for a rail-l road rail comprising, incombination, a tie-plate member having a seat portion for the base ofthe rail, an upstanding shoulder on the plate having a key-way therein,and providing an abutment for one flange of the base of said rail, and aspring key provided at one end with a portion of reduced width whichprojects through the keyway and provides a stop for engagement with theshoulder of the tie plate to limit the movement of the key through saidkey-way, the other end Leashes of the key being downturned and adaptedto be i flexed transversely of the rail into locking engagement with aportion of the tie plate to hold the key under compression between thesaid stop thereof and thepoint of locking engagement with said plate.

5. Supporting and retaining means for a railroad rail comprising, incombination, a tie plate member having a body portion adapted to besecured to a cross tie and having spaced up-L standing shouldersproviding abutments for opposite edges of the railV base, one of saidshouljacent ange of a rail base, lont normally out or" engagementtherewith, and is provided with means for engaging the last mentionedshoulder of the tie plate, the key being provided at the other end witha portion adapted to be flexed toward said shoulder and into lockingengagement with a portion of the tie plate body, whereby the key is heldin its normal position in the key- Way by the resilient force exertedlengthwise of the key between said shoulder and the body portion of thepla-te."V f

6. Supporting and retaining members for a railroad rail comprising incombination, a tie plate member having a body portion adapted to besecured to a cross tie and having spaced upstand=l ing shouldersproviding abutments for opposite edges of the rail base, one of saidshoulders having a key-way therein which extends above the upper-corner-portion of the rail base flange, and means for retaininga rail inposition between said shoulders, but with capacity for limited verticalmovement thereof relative to the plate comprising a spring key, one endof which ex tends through said key-way and overlies the adjacent iiangeof the rail base, but normally out of engagement therewith, and isprovided with means engaging said key-wayed shoulder for limiting themovement of the -,key through said key-way, the said key beingprovidediat the other end with a portion adapted to flex toward the tieplate shoulder engaged and into locking engagement with a portion of thetie plate body to hold said key in its normal rail free vposition insaid hey-way.

7. Supporting and retaining means for railroad rails comprising incombination a 'tie plate member having a body portion adapted to besecured to a cross tie and having spaced upstanding shoulders providingabutments for engaging opposite edges of a rail base, means carried byone or said shoulders for limiting upward vertical movement of the railand means carried by the other shoulder for limiting said upwardmovement comprising a spring key, one end of which extends through aslot in said shoulder to over-lie the adjacent iiange of the rail base,but normally out or engagement therewith, and provided at its other endwith a portion adapted to ilex toward said shoulder and into lockingengagement with a portion of the tie plate body, whereby thekey is heldin its normal rail free position in said key-way by the resilient forceofV the key exerted in the direction of its length between said tieplate shoulder and the point of engagement of the key with the tie platebody. y

8. Supporting and retaining means for a railroad rail comprising incombination a tie plate member having means upon its upper face toprovide abutments for opposite edges of a rail base, said abutmentsbeing provided with key-ways extending longitudinally of the rail forthe reception of key members, the said key members being each formed atone end with a portion for bearing against the top surface -of the railbase and with stop'members engaging the adjacent abut- I ment on theplate for limiting the applying movement of said end portion of the keyand the other end of the key-being bowed downwardly and adapted to beexed toward said adjacent abutment and into locking engagement with aportion of said tie plate whereby the key is heldin its Sil normalposition in said key-way by virtue of the f HAROLD G. WARE.

